RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR MAYOR'S DESIGNEE TO REINSTITUTE THE POLICY OF HIRING INDIVIDUALS AS POLICE OFFICER TRAINEES AND SPONSORING THEM THROUGH THE MIAMI-DADE POLICE DEPARTMENT’S POLICE ACADEMY

Indexes:

POLICE

Sponsors:

Barbara J. Jordan, Prime Sponsor

Sally A. Heyman, Co-Sponsor

Sunset Provision:
No

Effective Date:

Expiration Date:

Registered Lobbyist:

None Listed

Legislative History

Acting Body

Date

Agenda Item

Action

Sent To

Due Date

Returned

Pass/Fail

Public Safety & Animal Services Committee

4/10/2013

2B

Amended

REPORT:

(SEE AGENDA ITEM 2B AMENDED; LEGISLATIVE FILE NO. 130562.)

County Attorney

3/25/2013

Referred

Public Safety & Animal Services Committee

4/10/2013

County Attorney

3/25/2013

Assigned

Juliette Antoine

3/25/2013

Legislative Text

TITLE

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR MAYOR'S DESIGNEE TO REINSTITUTE THE POLICY OF HIRING INDIVIDUALS AS POLICE OFFICER TRAINEES AND SPONSORING THEM THROUGH THE MIAMI-DADE POLICE DEPARTMENTíS POLICE ACADEMY

BODY

WHEREAS, the Miami-Dade Police Department provides countywide and sheriff services to a diverse multi-ethnic and racial population; and
WHEREAS, in order to become a certified police officer, each new police recruit/trainee must participate in a basic law enforcement training program; and
WHEREAS, in prior administrations, as the need for new recruits arose, the County hired individuals as police officer trainees and sponsored them through the police academy as County employees while they trained to obtain their certification as police officers; and
WHEREAS, the policy of training recruits and sponsoring such training allowed the County the opportunity to have the best trained and most diverse group of police officers; and
WHEREAS, this administration has instituted a new policy of only hiring certified and/or lateral police officers rather than sponsoring cadets through the police academy; and
WHEREAS, by focusing its recruiting on certified and/or lateral police officers who do not have to go through the Miami-Dade Police Department police academy, the Miami-Dade Police Department loses the advantage of training and evaluating its own recruits; and
WHEREAS, this change in policy makes it very difficult for individuals from lower economic backgrounds to become Miami-Dade Police Department police officers; and
WHEREAS, according to economic research conducted by the Social and Economic Development Council, Miami-Dade County Department of Planning and Zoning, households headed by minorities are significantly more likely to fall in the lower socioeconomic class; and
WHEREAS, the policy of hiring pre-certified police officers rather than giving all potential recruits the opportunity to train as Miami-Dade Police Department police officers has a disproportionate adverse impact on minorities and others who are unable to afford the cost of such training; and
WHEREAS, the policy of hiring pre-certified police officers limits the diversity of the pool of officers available to serve as recruits and makes it more difficult for the Miami-Dade Police Department to serve the needs of our diverse community,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that the County Mayor or Mayor's designee is directed to reinstitute the policy of focusing itsí recruiting on hiring individuals as police officer trainees and sponsoring such individuals through the police academy training program. The reinstitution of this policy of recruiting non-certified police trainees shall not preclude the Miami-Dade Police Department from hiring a class consisting predominantly or wholly of certified police officers should there be a shortage of officers and there is not adequate time to recruit and train a non-certified class. If this resolution becomes effective on or prior to June 1st, 2013, the policy of recruiting non-certified police academy trainees shall be implemented no later than June 1st, 2013, otherwise, this policy shall be implemented as of the effective date of this resolution.